Dr. Jörn Günther • Antiquariat
www.guenther-rarebooks.com

CONTENTS

Manuscripts

  1. Glossed Gospels of St Luke and St John,
    Paris or northern France, c. 1210
  2. Psalter with calendar for the diocese of Trier,
    Germany,Trier, c. 1220-40
  3. Psalter and book of hours for the use of Paris,
    illuminated in the du Prat atelier, France, Paris,
    c. 1250-60
  4. Biblia latina, pocket bible, France, Paris, c. 1250
  5. Antiphonary, sanctoral volume, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, c. 1270-75
  6. Psalter for the use of Auxerre, France,
    Burgundy or Paris, c. 1300
  7. Antiphonary for a Franciscan convent,
    illuminated by Neri da Rimini, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, dated 1314
  8. Vita Sancti Antonii Eremitae – Inventio et
    Translatio, illuminated by the Maestro del 1328,
    Italy, Bologna, c. 1320
  9. Schönrainer Liederhandschrift. Middle High
    German Minnesang manuscript, Germany,
    Hesse, c. 1330
  10. Missale Romanum, illuminated in the workshop
    of Cristoforo Orimina, Italy, Naples, c. 1355
  11. Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae and
    Jean de Meun, Testament, France, Paris, c. 1400
  12. Guido de Columna, Historia destructionis Troiae
    and Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Filostrato, Italy,
    Naples, dated 1414 and 1413
  13. Book of hours for the use of Paris, illuminated
    by the workshop of the Bedford Master, France,
    Paris, c. 1405-10
  14. Compilation of pastoral and mystical texts
    from the library of the Celestines of Marcoussis,
    illuminated by the Hoo Master, France, Paris,
    c. 1425-35
  15. Book of hours for the use of Toul, illuminated
    by the Master of Pommersfelden 351, France,
    Toul or Metz, c. 1435-40
  16. Dominican hymnal, illuminated by the
    Master of 1446, Italy, Bologna, c. 1450
  17. Nicolaus de Lyra, Postilla litteralis super
    Vetus Testamentum, two volumes, Italy,
    Ferrara?, 1441-46
  18. Compilation of history bible and world chronicle,
    the Antichrist and the XV signs and other texts,
    Austria, c. 1450
  19. Book of hours and psalter in Dutch, illuminated
    by the Master of the Haarlem Bible, Masters of
    Otto von Moerdrecht, Masters of Gijsbrecht
    van Brederode et al., northern Netherlands,
    Haarlem, dated 1453
  20. Book of hours for the use of Rome, with
    calendar of Bruges, illuminated by the Master of
    Buchanan E.5, Flanders, Bruges, c. 1450-60
  21. Chronique anonyme universelle, parchment
    scroll, illuminated by the Master of Étienne
    Sauderat, France, Paris?, c. 1450 with additions
    after 1461 and 1467
  22. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated
    by the workshop of Bartolomeo Varnucci,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1460-70
  23. Martin Le Franc, L’Estrif de Fortune et de Vertu,
    illuminated by the Master of the Échevinage
    de Rouen, France, Rouen, c. 1465-75
  24. Book of hours for the use of Utrecht in the Dutch
    translation of Geert Grote, illuminated by one of
    the Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode, northern
    Netherlands, probably Utrecht, c. 1465-70
  25. Missale Fratrum Minorum for the convent
    of S. Francesco di Montone, near Perugia,
    illuminated by Bartelomeo and Giapeco
    Caporali, Italy, Perugia, 1469
  26. Book of hours for the use of Rome with
    adaptations for Poitiers and a calendar for
    Angers, illuminated by Maître François,
    France, Paris, c. 1470
  27. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated by the
    workshop of Mariano del Buono di Jacopo,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1470-75
  28. Book of hours for the use of Rome, illuminated
    by Martino da Modena, Italy, Ferrara, c. 1480-85
  29. Book of hours for Dominican use, illuminated
    by the workshop of Matteo Felice, Italy,
    Naples, c. 1480
  30. Giovanni Boccaccio, Elegia di Madonna
    Fiammetta, illuminated by Attavante degli
    Attavanti, Italy, Florence, c. 1480
  31. Book of hours for the use of Rome, Italy,
    Sicily or Naples, c. 1480-90
  32. Olivier de la Marche, Le chevalier délibéré and
    other texts, Flanders, c. 1484
  33. Prayerbook in German, Germany, Nuremberg,
    c. 1495-1500
  34. Fencing treatise with pen-and-ink drawings,
    southern Germany,Augsburg, c. 1490-1500
  35. Book of hours for the use of Paris in Latin
    and French, illuminated by an artist from the
    circle of Jean Pichore, France, Paris, c. 1500
  36. Passion prayerbook in Latin with a prayer for
    the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Flanders,
    Bruges, after 1517
  37. Diploma for Statilio Paolino on his award of a
    doctorate in law from the University of
    Perugia, Italy, Perugia, dated 29 October 1582
  38. Album with Italian, mainly Venetian, costumes and
    characters from the Commedia dell’Arte, Italy,
    Venice?, first quarter of the 17th century

    Miniatures

  39. Funeral mass for a dignitary, miniature from a
    breviary, France,Avignon, c. 1340-45 128
  40. A pope distributing the decretals, miniature from
    a manuscript of canon law, France, Languedoc,
    c. 1320
  41. The Adoration of the Magi, historiated initial ‘D’
    on a leaf from a missal, Italy, Siena, c. 1400-10
  42. Two martyr saints, historiated initial ‘P’ on a leaf
    from a gradual for Lucca Cathedral, illuminated by
    Martino di Bartolomeo. Italy, Lucca, c. 1394-95
  43. Investiture of St Clare on a cutting from a
    Franciscan antiphonary, Italy, Bologna or Veneto,
    c. 1430-40
  44. Trinity, historiated initial ‘G’ on a cutting from
    a choirbook, France, Savoy, c. 1450 138
  45. King David playing the psaltery, historiated
    initial ‘E’ on a leaf from a psalter, illuminated by
    Jacopo da Balsemo, Italy, Bergamo, c. 1450-55
  46. The Creation of Eve, historiated initial ‘I’ on a
    cutting from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Bonifacio Bembo, Italy, Lombardy, c. 1445
  47. Jesaia before the Almighty, historiated initial ‘A’
    on a leaf from an antiphonary, illuminated by
    a follower of the Maestro delle Vitae Imperatorum,
    Italy, Lombardy, c. 1460
  48. Batsheba bathing, miniature from the Hours of
    Guyot II Le Peley, illuminated by Jean Colombe,
    France, Bourges, c. 1480
  49. The miracle of St Michael on Mount Gargano,
    miniature from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Attavante degli Attavanti, Italy, Florence,
    between 1473 and 1502
  50. Christ taking leave of his mother, miniature
    mounted on wood, illuminated by Jacopo del
    Giallo?, Italy, Rome, c. 1540

    Key to bibliographical references

An important early example of a fully illustrated Chronique universelle

21 Chronique anonyme universelle

Parchment scroll, illuminated by the Master of Étienne Sauderat. France, Paris?, c. 1450 with additions after 1461 and corrections after 1467.

18.572 metres (!) x c.555 mm. Complete: 29 membranes (the final 5 are later additions) pasted together with approximately 20 mm overlap. Signatures preserved on several versos, in Roman numerals. – Written space varying from one to 5 columns in a black Cursiva Formata (Bastarda) on a red ruling, prickings preserved in both margins. – Lines of descent and name roundels in red, paragraph marks of blue with red penwork, two- and three-line initials alternately of blue or burnished gold with penwork of red or black respectively. – Large opening initial of gold against a blue ground with pink infill and with a right-angle border made up of sprays of gold ivyleaves on hairline stems, acanthus, fruit and flowers, final section with a large blue initial on a red monochrome-patterned ground, 65 roundels with miniatures. – Excellent condition, some creasing to first membrane, very little rubbing or wear, a few parchment repairs.

PROVENANCE: 1. Possibly owned by the French royal family in the 18th century, since the scroll is said to have been looted from the Garde-Meuble in Paris in 1792. 2. George Temple Nugent Grenville, marquis of Buckingham, in the library he founded in Stowe (sold by Thomas Astle). His sale at Sotheby’s, 11 June 1849, lot 411. 3. Bertram, Earl of Ashburnham (1797-1878). His sale at Sotheby’s, 10 June 1901, lot 627. 4.Théophile Belin.

TEXT: Anonymous universal chronicle detailing history from the Creation to the French King Charles VI, with a chronicle of the reign of Charles VII and a portrait of Louis XI. The scroll is formatted as a timeline in parallel columns, beginning at Genesis. Once the text branches off to include Ancient Greece and Rome, the biblical narrative continues down the left column while pagan history is recounted at the right. After the completion of the New Testament, the left column continues with the history of the papacy down to Urban VI in 1378. After the destruction of Troy and the flight of its survivors to Europe, the right column branches into three, giving from left to right the Roman and then the Holy Roman Empire, the Merovingian, Carolingian, Capetian and Valois kings of France, and the ancient kings of Britain followed by the Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings of England. The line of French kings runs from Pharamond to Clovis and Charlemagne, concluding originally with Charles VI (r. 1380-1422). Shortly after the death of his son Charles VII (1422-61), a new scribe added a detailed chronicle of the reign of Charles VII and a portrait of Louis XI, crowned in 1461. This implies that the scroll was originally produced during the reign of Charles VII, while the additions date from the early reign of Louis XI. The Chronique universelle, a supplied title, was a very popular text. However, they conclude with several different entries. The long Charles VI chronicle preserved here is uncommon and is usually found in copies that were probably produced during the reign of Charles VII. There are only two copies with the same ending (Orléans, Bibl. mun., ms. 470 and Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, ms. 176), and three further copies that include the annals of Charles VII (Paris,BN, n.a. fr. 1493; Leeds, University Library, Brotherton Collection, ms. 100 and Rouen, Bibl.mun., ms. 1137).

ILLUMINATION: Twelve roundels from the Creation to the Toil of Adam and Eve – Noah building the Ark – Abraham sacrificing Isaac – Tower of Babel – Joshua, the first Worthy – King David – Destruction of Troy – Four roundels each with a ship containing a warrior fleeing from Troy: Aeneas, Priam,Turnus and Helenus – Destruction of Samaria – Brut killing giants – King Zedechias – Hewing of Nebuchadnezzar – Foundation of Sicambria – Foundation of Rome – Prophesy of Daniel/Death of Balthazar – Foundation of Lutece – Rape of the Sabinians – Queen Vashti banished – Alexander of Macedonia – Judah Maccabee – Nativity of Christ – Infant Christ with instruments of the Passion – Murder of Julius Caesar – Last Supper – Foundation of London – Priant leading his troops – King Bucie of Britain annointing two bishops – French army battling the Romans – Conain Meriadoc – King Pharamond – Baptism of Clovis – Anglist of Britanny – Dagobert founding St Denis – Defeat of Mordred by King Arthur – Destruction of England – King Pepin – Pope Gregory the Great – William the Conqueror – Hugh Capet – Godfrey of Bouillon on board a ship – St Charlemagne as emperor – Godfrey of Bouillon takes Jerusalem – St Louis – Emperor Berenger I – King Edward I – Philip of Valois VI – John II – Charles V – Charles VI – Charles VII – Louis XI. The full complement of 65 miniatures preserves the standard cycle found in other copies of the Chronique, with the exception of the Annunciation of the Passion which is a rare iconographic treatment found only in four other copies that belong together also on the grounds of their text versions. One of them (Boston, Public Library, ms. Pb Med 32) is closely related to our manuscript in style, content and format. The style of painting is close to the Master of Étienne Sauderat. Characteristics of his idiom include the specific rendering of the ground coloured in a striking shade of yellow and covered with small decorative trees. Moreover his palette includes an unusual tint of turquoise used for the water.The artist is named after the Livre de la propriété des choses in Amiens (Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 399) written in 1447 by Étienne Sauderat.Traditionally his style is located to northern France, while recent research has found that the Master of Étienne Sauderat was also active in Paris. The final roundel depicting Louis XI is close in style to the Master of the Échevinage de Rouen whose style dominated Rouennais illumination in the third quarter of the 15th century.

LITERATURE: Sales cat. Sotheby’s, 11 June 1849, lot 411; sales cat. Sotheby’s, 10 June 1901, lot 627. König 1991, pp. 50-53, pl. 1; Fossier 1980-81, pp. 163-183; Hurel 1992, pp. 29-40; Hurel 1994, pp. 303-314; Hurel 1996, pp. 125-135; Davis 2006, pp. 43-49. Our description is largely based on an unpublished paper by Lisa Fagin Davis.